Saudi Arabia invites Houthis, Omanis to Riyadh for Yemen truce talks

Saudi Arabia has invited Yemen's Houthi delegation to Riyadh to continue ceasefire talks, the state news agency SPA reported.

The country wanted to resume its and Oman's efforts to "reach a permanent and comprehensive ceasefire in Yemen and a sustainable political solution acceptable to all Yemeni parties," SPA added in a statement early on Friday.

The Houthi Al-Masirah TV reported earlier on Thursday that a delegation left Sanaa and was on its way to Riyadh to continue the negotiations.

Houthi officials will travel to Riyadh with the Omani mediators, who landed in Sanaa on Thursday, two people involved in the talks said earlier.

The trip will be the first official visit by Houthi officials to the country since the war broke out in Yemen in 2014 after the Iran-aligned group ousted a Saudi-backed government in Sanaa.

The first round of the Oman-mediated consultations between Riyadh and Sanaa, which are running in parallel to UN peace efforts, was held in April when Saudi envoys visited Sanaa.

The group has been fighting against a Saudi-led military alliance since 2015 in a conflict that has killed hundreds of thousands and left 80 percent of Yemen's population dependent on humanitarian aid.

Reopening of Houthi-controlled ports, airport

Sources speaking on condition of anonymity told Reuters news agency that the Saudi-Houthi talks are focused on a full reopening of Houthi-controlled ports and Sanaa airport, payment of wages for public servants from oil revenues, rebuilding efforts, and a timeline for foreign forces to quit Yemen.

Oman, which borders Yemen, has been trying for years to bridge differences between the warring parties, and more broadly between Iran and Saudi Arabia and the United States.

The peace initiatives have gained momentum since Saudi Arabia and Iran agreed to re-establish ties in a deal brokered by China.

A permanent ceasefire in Yemen would mark a milestone in stabilising the Middle East.